Indonesians Love Themselves Some Fixed Gears

The surging popularity of fixed gear bikes is a bonafide global phenomenon and Indonesia has become quite the hotbed. A 40-year-old mechanic named Mas Mono is catering to the emerging market and was profiled in The Jakarta Globe, where he spoke about their increasingly popularity.

He said Indonesians refer to the minimalist two wheelers as “doltrap.” It’s derived from “doortrappen,” the Dutch word for “to keep on peddling,” and there’s a huge demand for the particular style of bike. According to Mono, “business has been great.” He made $7,000 in six months building around 300 bikes, which averages out to about $23 a pop and seems a little on cheap end, even for that part of the world.